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More thoughts on the Earthquake Transits and Japan’s Imperial Chart

March 16, 2011 — Living Moon Astrology

~ The Face of Hope ~ A four months old baby girl rescued alive and well from the rubble ~

I want to discuss here how some important transits interacted with the Imperial Chart of Japan (February 11, 1889) at the time of the Japanese earthquake. I was unable to fit them in last night in my last post on the Japanese disaster, due to my own power shortage. I will discuss the same transits in relation to the Modern Chart of Japan (April 28 1952) in a future post.

The Japan earthquake of March 11 has been upgraded by US experts to a magnitude 9 instead than 8.9 (the effect of a single decimal point, in these types of measurement, being humongous). This makes this quake the fourth largest in the world since 1900.

Dire news were coming through my little transistor radio early this morning. Some of the children in the country school bus I board every weekday to come to work were talking about Japan, visibly worried by what they have seen in television. It is affecting a lot of people in a big way.

It seems too awful to contemplate that Japan may become victim of a nuclear disaster after being battered by such uncontrollable natural forces. In the worst-case scenario the core of the damaged reactor/s could reach melt down point, emitting large amounts of radioactivity into the atmosphere, a deadly cloud that could then be brought by winds’ currents hundreds of miles away from the nuclear plant, possibly affecting not just Japan but other countries as well.

We all feel a deep sense of compassion and sympathy for the plight of the Japanese people, and also a sense of dismay that economic imperatives are too often forcing us to adopt dangerous methods to produce power. There are better ways, we are just not clever or conscious enough to take them seriously on board.

I’m here looking further at theSynastry between the Earthquake Chart and the Imperial Japan’s Birth Chart. Here is this two-wheels Chart again.

Here are some of the major transits between these two Charts as I observed them.

The Ascendant of the moment the earthquake struck (17° 47′ of Leo) was conjunct Imperial Japan’s Saturn, on 16° 27′ Leo. Now this is a major transit because its timing is so close. The Mid-heaven, in any given place, moves an average of one degree every four minutes, while the Ascendant moves more or less according to latitude and the season, some Signs taking longer to rise above the horizon than others (Long and Short ascension). Leo is a Sign of Long Ascension in the Northern Hemisphere, moving about one degree in five minutes, so that the Ascendant-Saturn’s conjunction would have been exact just at 2.39 pm, only seven minutes before the recorded earthquake’s time. Now this is quite a precise hit. Saturn in this Chart was in wide opposition to the Sun and in square to the Ascendant, at the time of the birth of Imperial Japan, difficult aspects, pointing at Imperial Japan’s authoritarian and disciplinarian leanings. As I have found in Eclectic Astrology notes about Saturn’s role in a Mundane Charts ( Mundane Astrology part 2): ‘in a collective sense, the amount of freedom a society permits or denies itself‘‘. These Saturn’s aspects show then that many restrictions and rigid rules were meant to hamper personal freedom, with the aim to achieve an efficient system of government and social order in Imperial Japan. Saturn is found in the foundation sector in the Imperial Chart, signifying his importance at the core of Japanese psychology and family life. Saturn also rules the Tenth House’s Mid-Heaven in Capricorn and the Eleventh House’s cusp in Aquarius (traditionally also a Sign of Saturn). These connections link Saturn to Imperial Japan’s public institutions, style of government, also the nation’s status in the eye of the world, Law and Order, national security and technology.We shouldn’t forget also that the transiting Saturn, at the time of the quake, was in the Sixth House of this Chart, sector which, in Mundane Astrology, represents public health, working conditions of the masses, employment etc. This area has certainly received a terrible blow here and the recovery could indeed take a very long time. Transiting Saturn, at present retrograde in the middle of Libra, will be transiting this sector of Japan’s Imperial Chart until October 2013.

Of great significance is also a difficult aspect from transiting Pluto in Capricorn to Imperial Japan”s Sun in the Tenth House (semi-square), and the opposition of the same Pluto to Japan’s Chiron. Transits from Pluto always confront us with experiences of unavoidable loss, and the need to find inner resources to cope with difficult circumstances. The opposition to Chiron does not help to ease the difficulty of the contact Pluto-Sun, but rather makes it more painful and fated. Certainly the Japanese people have been tested to the core by this catastrophe and need to become even more resilient in order to psychologically survive and rebuild their lives. The Sun in a Mundane Chart represents the ruler of the country, President or King. The aspect from Pluto could challenge the authority figure of the country and bring political turmoil and power struggles in the wake of this disaster. A change in leadership may become necessary to start on a new course. Pluto, of course, is also astrologically connected with nuclear power and all things that are extreme and deadly, like poisons or weapons of mass destruction. Plutonium is after all an ingredient in the mixed oxide fuel (MOX) used in Fukushima Unit 3 reactor, one of the worst affected nuclear plants. This type of fuel has a lower melting point than other nuclear fuels and it is also much more toxic. We can only pray, for everyone sake, that the situation doesn’t get any worse.

Imperial Japan’s Lunar Nodes, representing the axis of destiny for individuals or nations, are also activated in this Synastry, aspected by the transiting Sun on the day, while the transiting Lunar Nodes happen also to be in aspect to Imperial Japan’s Ascendant and Neptune. The Nodes are, first of all, links to recent eclipses, destiny makers for individuals and nations. In my previous post I highlighted some of the most obvious connections of the Earthquake Chart to the eclipses of December 2010 and January 2011. These further links show again the deep impact of these events on the lives and destinies of every Japanese individual and on Japan as a nation.

There were also positive transits, the Saturn sextile Saturn, that I mentioned in my previous post, and, not exact on the day but still active, a contact Jupiter-Venus, welcome golden linings around the dark clouds. Transiting Jupiter in Aries was in fact separating from a conjunction to Imperial Japan’s Venus (exact on March 6). This is generally considered a fortunate aspect, hopefully helping to soften the blow and inspire the people with a strong desire to live and some optimism for the future. However the position of Venus and transiting Jupiter in the Twelfth House of Japan’s Chart, suggest a sense of fatalism and impotence too, when only a philosophical or religious attitude can save the day. Venus is very important in the Imperial Japan’s Chart, because Taurus, Venus’ Sign, is on the Ascendant, making Venus the Ruling Planet of the whole Chart.

I leave the study of this interesting Synastry at that. In a next post I’ll discuss the same earthquake’s transits in relation to the 1952 Birth Chart of Modern Japan, another intriguing journey.

2 Responses to “More thoughts on the Earthquake Transits and Japan’s Imperial Chart”

You make some very good points here, although an event
of this magnitude is clearly, for the most part, under the
auspices of the Outer planets. Not unlike the Deepwater,
GOM event about a year ago where the charts point to
strong Outer planet influences resulting in the pollution of
the entire region and possible long term effects into the
Gulf stream and the Atlantic Ocean. This is where I’ve been
somewhat amazed as to all the different spins being given
to this recent event/tragedy on the mainstream astrology
blogs and websites.

In a Mundane sense, per the other factors of the Moon
through Saturn, those factors in this case are really more
representative to the ‘Human factors’ that inter-twine
into these Outer planet influences; as for example, the
negligence and lack of oversight in the safety factors for
the present issue of the nuclear meltdowns (which, BTW
was also an underpinning in the Deepwater event).

As for the quake, the activation of the Moon-Mars in the
chart you are referring to would represent the destruction
of the land and populace from the inundation of water
from the Tsunami (Mars in Pisces). The other factors as to
the Sun, Jupiter, Saturn, would be more (IMHO) indicative
of the manner by which this event is being handled or
managed (Sun-Saturn) by the government of Japan. Or at
best, these ‘inner planet’ influences would be more as
triggers to larger, Outer planet influences.

As you are working with eclipses, there is (IMHO) a much
more potent influence if you were to do a synastry for this
Imperial chart with the Aug 99 Leo Total Eclipse.
That chart has some striking planet placements that align
with the Imperial chart. This is also why I follow a different
view of Eclipses – an eclipse as a Cycle which has a
19 year cycle of influence, rather than the more traditional
timing effect based only on the duration of the eclipse. So
the eclipses within the past 19 years can, according to their
aspects and placement, have an influence on Mundane
events.

So in actuality, for anyone of some astrological savvy, when
examining these type events, the first thing would be to
consider the ‘theme’ of the event and what planets would
be more akin to the event. Then see firstly if or what is in
play with those planets. Then there can be less ‘guessing’
as to what really is the underpinning, rather than
just speculating and trying to make the chart work instead
of spotting specific theme planets involved for the event.

Hi, EH, thanks again for your contribution to the debate.
I agree with you that it is indeed too easy to fall into the temptation to stress the importance of transits that seem to work with the events and perhaps underestimate others that are nevertheless there.
In the case of the unfolding crisis in Japan (and the Middle East) there hasn’t been much need however to concoct explanations to suit what’s happening. I feel it is pretty clear that both the big picture (planetary shifts, eclipses etc.) and the small picture (horizon-meridian axis, Moon phase and placement, Mercury’s transits etc) work, all are reflecting well the situation.
In many ways we are now witnessing the upheavals that astrologers, environmentalists and conscious people all over the globe have been expecting to eventuate since 2008 and earlier, when the ingress of Pluto in Capricorn and subsequent cosmic events were still big news.
I agree with you also that some particularly powerful eclipses, like the August 1999 you mentioned, connected with significant planetary alignments and shifts, can and indeed do remain active for the whole metonic cycle of 18 + years. I remember that eclipse because it was on top of my natal Pluto, helping me and many other baby boomers with the same Pluto’s placement, I am sure, to move on from the past in a big way, a process that is still happening for me.
I just wish I had more time to study and write. I am still struggling with power shortages, that actually got worse in the last few days. Difficult to be patient while Uranus squares my Sun and new ideas buzz in my head like crazy!
Always glad to hear from you, Paola

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